The Indianapolis journal., 1887-09-14
A ROMANCE FROM LIFE.
An Old Soldiers Remarriage to the Wife or
Hts Youth-A Love That Lived.

An Old Soldiers Remarriage to the Wife Of
His Youth-A Love That Lived
Economy Pal Letter in Philadelphia Press
When Henry Lebley, an old soldier. was gut
etly married to-day, the home OF SQUIRE
Offrey. in Wrigsville little village about six
miles from here, it was the second time that he
and the frail woman by his side had made those
vows The romance of their lives islike the
imagining of a fertile Drained story-writer. 1t
was the closing act In drama upon which the
curtain rurg up more than twenty years
ago.
1t was in June. 1857, that Henry Lebley q
promising young farmer of twenty one, who
had inherited from his father what was a snug
little fortune in those days, first began pay
his addresses to Minnie Sexer. farmers daugh-
ter of sixteen who was then one of the rural
bellies of Beaver county. She seemed to favor
him until dashing young Southerner named
Harvey johnson. who claimed TO belong to one
of the best families in Kentucky, appeared in
the neighborhood and became q rival OF the hon
est young farmer for her hand. Then she
seemed to forget that Lebley ever existed. and
his suit would have Jared badly but for Minnie's
father, who brought such pressure to bear upon
his fair daughter that she at length unwllllnely
consented to become Leblev's wife. lt was very
evident. however, that her & infa.uation a.. s fos
johnson was complete The latter seemed
greatly affected by the loss OF his sweetheart
and disappeared shortly before the wedding.
The honeymoon had scarcely passed when
Mrs Lebley received letter purportng TO come
from an old schooimate who had gone to reside
in Ohio, and who urged the newly made bride
to nav her a visit With her husbands consent
Mrs. Lebley left home ostensibly for that pur-
pose but never from that time until to-day was
she seen in Wr1gsvlle again. When the time
set for her return had passed her husband ana
her father made every effort to find her, but
without avail
Three years passed by, and then the deserted
husband married again. The father OF the miss
ing briue had never recovered from the Stock OF
his daughters disappearance, and had died
broken hearted man within year after Its oc-
amounsine to some " $50 oooal he possessed
with the condition that the legatee should never
relax his efforts to find his missing wife, ana
that when found, no matter how great her Of
fenses might have been, be should make suitable
provision for her.
When the civil war broke out in 1861 Lebley
WAS one of the first tnree-years' men enlisted
from Pennsylvania He passed through many
battles unscatheG. but at Gettysburg he received
what the surgeons feared would prove mortal
wound. His young WIFE whose tenderness and
truth had consoled kim for the disappointment
and unhappiness of his first marriage, fastened
from her country home to her husbands bedside.
and during the long weeks that he lowered be-
tween life and death nurssd him with unre-
mitting devotion.
He at length recovered sufficiently to be taken
home and when another month had pass ed he
rejoined his regiment and served to the end OF
the war. His wifes health had been under
mined by her long vigil at his bedside. She
long after Lees army had surrendered and her
husband had been mustered out of service. she
died.
Wifeless for the second time. Henry Lebley
seemed to lose interest in all things around
him. and in his great grief shrink from all
human companionship. For the past twanty
years he has been a silent. solitary man, trust
ing the conduct OF his affairs almost wholly TO
a nephew whom he had adopted and whose
young wife the only other inmate of the
Quiet household. A few weeks there was
placed in his hand letter addressed to his dead
father in-law. At sight of the familiar hand
writing he trembled aud grew pale 1t was
from the long absented wife of his youth Has
tily breaking the seal he read that she was a
poor outcast, who, weary OF her wratched ilfe.
prayed her fathers forgiveness and impored
him to take her back to his heart and home.
The letter dated at Chicago and within
a few hours Lebley Was on his way to that city.
What passed between husband wife at their first
meeting is, OF course. known only to themselves.
1t has since been learned that Mrs Lebley
elooed with Johnson who overcame her scruples
by an Indiana divorce and a marriage with him.
After few years of wretchedness and poverty
he had cruelty abandoned her. and she had grad
ually sunk lower and lower until at last she nad
resolved, like the Prodigal Son, to arise and 60
TO her father
The sight of his first sweetheart and wife,
whose memory. in spite of himself. Leblsy had
fonily cherished in his heart throughout the
long years, rekindled all the ardent passion OF
his youth He forgot and forgave everything,
and to-day, in the little dusty room which Squire
Offrey calls his Office. Henry Lebey and Minnie
Sexer repeated the same vows of love and con-
stAncy that they had made TO each other three
decades ago. Despite the long years OF suffering
through which she has come to peace and rest
at last, Mrs. Lebley's face is beautiful oEe
stil